Participants from China and the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Combined Task Force (CTF) 465 transfer the “injured sailor” during a joint rescue drill at the Chinese PLA Support Base in Djibouti on Oct. 12, 2018. (Photo by Tan Longlong)

By Zhang Qingbao and Tan Longlong

DJIBOUTI, Oct. 15 (ChinaMil) -- The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Support Base in Djibouti conducted a joint medical rescue and evacuation drill with the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Combined Task Force (CTF) 465 on the morning of October 12, local time, in a bid to explore the methods for joint air-sea medical rescue and evacuation at oversea base, and to test and strengthen the emergency medical rescue support capability of the PLA Support Base in Djibouti.

The drill simulated the cabin of a merchant ship STAR caught fire in the western waters of the Gulf of Aden at around 6:00 a.m. local time and six sailors were ”injured”. After receiving a distress call from the ship, the Chinese PLA Support Base and the CTF 465 held an emergency discussion and decided to dispatch a joint medical team to rescue it.

The drill lasted four hours and practiced seven procedures such as the dispatching of emergency signal & information transmission, the establishment and dispatch of a joint medical rescue team, on-site joint medical treatment, and helicopter emergency medical evacuation and so forth.

It was the first time for the Chinese PLA Support Base to use the helicopter to conduct such a drill, which provided valuable experience for itself to effectively command naval and air force units and conduct humanitarian rescue at sea, promoted exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese base and EU military forces in the region, and improved the capability of regional joint humanitarian operation.